In Kokuho, the lead character Kikuo must fight to prove his worth as an outsider to the world of Kabuki. For the film’s director, Lee Sang-il, it was art imitating life, he tells View of the Arts. “In the case of Kokuho, we are talking about an art that needs to be followed by your lineage, as in you need to…
Tag: Far East Film Festival
28th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Chang Hang-jun (Director) and Yoo Hae-jin (Actor) of “The King’s Warden”
South Korea’s connection with its own historical roots is deeply embedded in popular culture. Period movies and costume melodramas have always held their own space, even during the nation’s gloomy times. From The King and the Clown (2005) and Masquerade (2012) to The Night Owl (2022), and back to the numerous retellings of the popular…
28th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Kim Do-young, director of “Once We Were Us”
After her film Kim Ji-young: Born 1982 (2019) sparked loud controversy in South Korea for its social and political criticism, the actress and director Kim Do-young has returned with her second feature, Once We Were Us, part of the competition at the 28th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. This emotional drama is a…
28th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Chao Koi-wang (Director) and Kai Ko (Actor) of ” I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish”
I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish is the feature debut of directors Chao Koi-wang and Hu Chin-ye, offering a view of Macau far removed from its usual casino-driven image. The film focuses on everyday lives defined by debt, absence, and survival, following a young girl and a debt collector whose paths unexpectedly…
28th Far East Film Festival: “Road to Vendetta” Review
Hong Kong action cinema gets a heavy dose of adrenaline with Road to Vendetta, a Hong Kong–Japan co-production that serves as the feature directorial debut of Njo Kui-ying. Stepping behind the camera at 50, the former pop idol delivers a film that clearly understands the appeal of the genre: fast, stylish, and driven by energy,…
28th Far East Film Festival: “My Name” Review
On April 3, 1948, Jeju Island became the site of a coordinated armed uprising as communist guerrillas launched pre-planned attacks on police stations, officials, and civilians. In the early hours, hundreds of insurgents struck multiple targets, killing officers, destroying homes, and using fear to deter participation in the May 10 elections that would lead to…
28th Far East Film Festival: “All Green” Review
In All Greens, director Takashi Koyama considers what life is like for underprivileged Japanese youth and their quest to get out of their small town. How might they go about that? By selling those titular greens… aka weed. Set in Ibaraki prefecture, where Koyama grew up, teen Boku Hidemi (Sara Minami) has an abusive father,…
28th Far East Film Festival: “Kokuho” Review
What does it take to become the master of an art form? That’s the question at the heart of Lee Sang-il’s exquisite film Kokuho, which recounts the rise of young prodigy Kikuo Tachibana (played by Ryo Yoshizawa and Soya Kurokawa) in the world of kabuki. Kikuo, the son of a Yakuza boss, has a talent…
28th Far East Film Festival: “I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish” Review
Macau is often shown as a city of bright lights and easy fortune, where casinos rise like temples of luck and excess. But behind the glamour, there is another reality made up of ordinary people living in the shadow of debt and hope. I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish, directed by Chao…
28th Far East Film Festival: “Someone Like Me” Review
For many people with disabilities, intimacy is not simply a private matter; it is influenced by social barriers, misunderstandings, and often, limitations placed on them by others. There is a persistent assumption that people with disabilities are either asexual or should not pursue romantic or physical relationships at all. Families can become overprotective, sometimes out…
Far East Film Festival 28 Unveils 76-Film Programme, Opening with Anthony Chen’s “We Are All Strangers”
What began in the spring of 1998 as a bold and somewhat puzzling experiment has grown into one of Europe’s most important showcases of Asian cinema. When the Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche (CEC) in Udine shifted its focus from Italian retrospectives to a programme dedicated to Hong Kong films, few could have predicted the outcome. Yet…
In Conversation with Yang Hee-kyung of “The Land of Morning Calm”
Yang Hee-kyung is a celebrated South Korean actress who began her career in theatre before expanding into television and film. She earned early acclaim with a Best Actress win at the 19th Seoul Theater Festival in 1995. Known for her natural charisma, Yang consistently delivers powerful performances, and her role in The Land of Morning…
In Conversation with Yoon Joo-sang of “The Land of Morning Calm”
With a career that spans almost four decades and includes roles in theatre, television, and film, Yoon Joo-sang is undeniably one of South Korea’s most experienced and respected actors. Born in 1949, he has delivered powerful performances across a variety of genres and platforms, earning awards such as the Best Supporting Actor award at the…
27th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Sylvia Chang
“I feel we’re very blessed we still have films.” When looking outside feels scary, you tend to panic and freeze. And if art refuses to forgive anything, it’s stillness. It takes courage to choose to create, and great patience to learn from it. The film industry and its relationship with filmmakers have long been considered…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 